Oppo unveils ColorOS 2.1.0i, based on Android 5.0

Oppo offered up a preview of what is ahead with its ColorOS for the famed Find 7 and Find 7a smartphones. Version 2.1.0i is in its final internal testing, generally meaning that it will be available for download within days, though its initial release will be as a Beta.

One of the ongoing frustrations with the loyal Oppo fan base has been the perceived slow adoption of bringing an Android 5.0-based edition of its user interface to the forefront. Even then, many updates have been Betas, and some official releases do not get pushed via over-the-air at all.

Thankfully, manually updating an Oppo smartphone is about as easy as a click-and-drag, and given the vocal community along with a consistent string of updates (even Betas), Oppo earns props for engaging with its customers the way it does.

So, what is new with ColorOS 2.1.0i? Well first is a flatter, brighter UI, bringing it somewhat in line with the Material Design motif that is Android 5.0, but it still has that decidedly ColorOS-styled semi-skeuomorphic texture from previous releases. The music player is updated significantly, with more of a “CD look” versus the “vinyl on a turn-table” accent.

Home screen folders have been cleaned up, and the preview is promoting a much smoother action when executing commands. Changes to the home-screen background are done with a real-time preview. Apps are set to start faster, the power-up cycle is faster, and images render quicker.

Other elements to recent UI updates remain, such as the single-layer launcher set-up. Since ColorOS 2.1 is based on Android 5.0, Oppo thought it cute to ensure we could still access the “Easter egg” Android Lollipop game (kind of like Flappy Birds), and then shows off an impressive score of…2 (seriously, it seems like most folks cannot get past 1).